of this area are doomed to the isolation we experienced prior to the advent of the airplane. Thank you. Mr. O'BRIEN. Any questions? Mr. BARTLETT. Mr. Walsh, do you have any information as to how much a new field might cost? Mr. WALSH. I am sorry, Mr. Bartlett, I could not answer that. Mr. BARTLETT. The data as to costs and conditions of the field with respect to repair will be available, though, as soon as the CAA report is made? Mr. WALSH. As soon as they compile the information; yes. Mr. BARTLETT. Does the CAA have the maintenance costs of the present field, such as they are now? Mr. WALSH. Yes; I understand they do. That is correct. Mr. BARTLETT. And if you had to revert to a DC-3 operation here, what would be the end result of that? Would that be a satisfactory operation for this area? Mr. WALSH. It wouldn't. No; it wouldn't be what is needed to Nome. With the increased activity and development, we need larger aircraft. We need DC-4 and DC-6 aircraft. Mr. BARTLETT. How many months a year do you have to depend exclusively on air for transportation? Mr. WALSH. In regard to passengers, it is the entire year. Insofar as freight is concerned or cargo, we can receive cargo for approximately 5 months during the summer months by water from Seattle. Insofar as the mail is concerned, the mail is no longer carried on the boat. It used to be at one time but it all moves by air now. Mr. BARTLETT. Thank you, Mr. Walsh. Mr. O'BRIEN. Mr. Dawson? Mr. DAWSON. If the airport were repaired, would Pan American be in a position to make any commitment in regard to carrying drugs and other cargo on a through basis? Mr. WALSH. Oh, yes; Pan American would be delighted to resume the DC-6B service. I am sure of that. Mr. DAWSON. Then you did formerly have through service? Mr. WALSH. That is right. We maintain a through service from Seattle now on a once-a-week frequency. Mr. DAWSON. That is all. Mr. O'BRIEN. Mr. Abbott. Mr. ABBOTT. You have no quarrel with the presentation as it was made by Mr. Harwood here? Mr. WALSH. NO; I have no quarrel with Mr. Harwood's presentation. Mr. ABBOTT. I am speaking, of course, of the views as expressed by Mr. Harwood. But a decision has to be made, does it not, in view of the title to the land on the Air Force strip here, as to whether it would be feasible economically and timewise to rehabilitate that stripor whether you can extend or expand your civilian strip here? Is that correct? Mr. WALSH. That is correct; yes. Mr. O'BRIEN. Thank you, Mr. Walsh. Mr. ABBOTT. Ben Young. Would you state your name, residence, and position, please? STATEMENT OF BEN YOUNG, NOME, ALASKA Mr. YOUNG. My name is Ben Young. I am in the oil business here. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, ladies and gentlemen, I am sorry that this particular subject on roads was not turned over to somebody who could really do it justice. It is important to the second division. It is vital to the welfare of this part of the country, and I hope there will be some results from this hearing. We are not asking for a handout from the Federal Government on roads. We are asking for a fair share in something that the rest of the Territory has been receiving for the past years. We are asking for a share proportionate with the needs of the second division. The road system in the second division has been seriously retarded due to the lack of funds. The Territory has realized the necessity of increasing the road funds by an increase in the motor fuel tax, but the funds from this source are still inadequate. The cost of road construction is high-$15,000 to $100,000 per mile. The Territory does not participate in the Federal Aid Highway Act as do the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Puerto Rico. There are several Federal agencies that do expend money for roads in the Territory. In the first and third divisions, the Bureau of Public Roads, the Forest Service have developed the road system to a great extent. They build no roads in the second division. They don't function here. They don't operate. In the third and fourth divisions the military has spent vast sums building roads in the last 15 years. The military has built no roads in the second division, at least none to my knowledge. The Alaska Road Commission does build roads in all four divisions. Out of $17 million appropriated for the Alaska Road Commission in 1954, the second received about $160,000. Out of the $17 million for road maintenance. Nothing for new construction. We don't blame the Alaska Road Commission for this. When the Alaska Road Commission sets up their priorities in the program they must appear before Congress, as I understand it, and their program is passed on by Congress. The total road mileage in the Territory is in the neighborhood of 4,000 miles. The mileage in the second division is under 250 miles. Nome-Taylor Road should be completed. This road would tie Nome to Taylor and the tin-producing areas beyond. A road from Unity to Kaltag would cut many miles off the river route up the Yukon. But our No. 1 project now for the second division is the trunk highway from Nome to Fairbanks. This road would serve a highly mineralized area in the Seward Peninsula, an area served only by air now, It would serve the Hog River area, which is just coming into production and has a gold producing potential equal to or greater than the Nome and Fairbanks area. This road would be the northwestern link in the Pan American Highway, which extends from the southern tip of South America and, with a few exceptions in Central America, and possibly a spot or two in South America, is completed to Fairbanks. With these exceptions, one can drive from the Argentine to Fairbanks now. And why they should stop at Fairbanks, I don't know. Why not bring it to Nome? We are informed that across the Bering Strait Russia has a road across the continent. You can drive from Moscow to tidewater on the Bering Sea. I don't know. You members of the committee probably know more about that than I do. Mr. O'BRIEN. I doubt it. Mr. YOUNG. If they do, it is something to think about. If peace comes and we get rid of the cold war, Nome will become an important traffic center, not only for air but for tourists. If there is a road across the other side of the strait, if the road is completed to Nome and Taylor from Fairbanks, there will be a stream of tourist traffic that we have never imagined. The United States has become travel conscious, they have become vacation conscious, and there would be thousands of tourists make this trip because they are curious about the country across the strait. The development of the road system in the second division will solve many of the other problems of the division. The road construction will provide much needed income for the native population as well as the white and will bring about a revival that will boost the general economy of this part of Alaska. Two weeks ago in the Saturday Evening Post there was an advertisement about roads. I don't remember the exact text of it, but it was to the effect that good roads are a good investment. I think they are, an investment in the country. They are an investment in the future. So ladies and gentlemen, when you turn in your report or your recommendations, we urgently request that you give this consideration: that when our request for funds for the roads in the second division goes before Congress, when the request for funds for the NomeFairbanks trunk highway are presented that you give it consideration, that it is a good investment and as an investment it will pay dividends again and again. Mr. DAWSON. It is my understanding they are now undertaking a survey of the Taylor road, are they not? Mr. YOUNG. They are, yes, sir. That is true. Mr. DAWSON. You have a staff here in Nome at the present time. Mr. YOUNG. That is true. Mr. DAWSON. I met them down at the hotel. They are working on it. You estimated the cost of highway construction here as ranging from $15,000 up to what? Mr. YOUNG. $100,000. Mr. DAWSON. A mile? Mr. DAWSON. What type of highway? Mr. YOUNG. Not of highway caliber as you know it in the States. A road that you can drive over in the summertime or in the wintertime when snow conditions will permit. It is simply a road that you can drive over. Mr. O'BRIEN. Thank you very much, Mr. Young. Dr. Langsam. Give your full name, Doctor. STATEMENT OF BEN YOUNG, NOME, ALASKA Mr. YOUNG. My name is Ben Young. I am in the oil business here. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, ladies and gentle men, I am sorry that this particular subject on roads was not turned over to somebody who could really do it justice. It is important to the second division. It is vital to the welfare of this part of the country, and I hope there will be some results from tis hearing. We are not asking for a handout from the Federal Government on roads. We are asking for a fair share in something that the rest of the Territory has been receiving for the past years. We are asking for a share proportionate with the needs of the second division. The road system in the second division has been seriously retarded due to the lack of funds. The Territory has realized the necessity of increasing the road funds by an increase in the motor fuel tax, but the funds from this source are still inadequate. The cost of road construction is high-$15,000 to $100,000 per mile The Territory does not participate in the Federal Aid Highway Act as do the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Puerto Rico. There are several Federal agencies that do expend money for roads in the Territory. In the first and third divisions, the Bureau of Public Roads, the Forest Service have developed the road system to a great extent. They build no roads in the second division. They don't function here. They don't operate. In the third and fourth divisions the military has spent vast sums building roads in the last 15 years. The military has built no roads in the second division, at least none to my knowledge. The Alaska Road Commission does build roads in all four divisions. Out of $17 million appropriated for the Alaska Road Commission in 1954, the second received about $160,000. Out of the $17 million for road maintenance. Nothing for new construction. We don't blame the Alaska Road Commission for this. When the Alaska Road Commission sets up their priorities in the program they must appear before Congress, as I understand it, and their program is passed on by Congress. The total road mileage in the Territory is in the neighborhood of 4,000 miles. The mileage in the second division is under 250 miles. Nome-Taylor Road should be completed. This road would tie Nome to Tavlor and the tin-producing areas beyond. A road from Unity to Kaltag would cut many miles off the river route up the Yukon. But our No. 1 project now for the second division is the trunk highway from Nome to Fairbanks. This road would serve a highly mineralized area in the Seward Peninsula, an area served only by air now It would serve the Hog River area, which is just coming into prodetion and has a gold producing potential equal to or greater than the Nome and Fairbanks area. This road would be the northwestern link in the Pan American Highway, which extends from the southern tip of South America and, with a few exceptions in Central America. and possibly a spot or two in South America, is completed to Fairbanks. With these exceptions, one can drive from the Argentine to Fairbanks now. And why they should stop at Fairbanks, I don't know. Why not bring it to Nome? We are informed that across the Bering Strait Russia has a road across the continent. You can drive from Moscow to tidewater on the Bering Sea. I don't know. You members of the committee probably know more about that than I do. Mr. O'BRIEN. I doubt it. Mr. Young. If they do, it is something to think about. If peace comes and we get rid of the cold war, Nome will become an important trafhe center, not only for air but for tourists. If there is a road across the other side of the strait, if the road is completed to Nome and Taylor from Fairbanks, there will be a stream of tourist traffic that we have never imagined. The United States has become travel conscious, they have become vacation conscious, and there would be thousands of tourists make this trip because they are curious about the country across the strait. The development of the road system in the second division will solve many of the other problems of the division. The road construction will provide much needed income for the native population as well as the white and will bring about a revival that will boost the general economy of this part of Alaska. Two weeks ago in the Saturday Evening Post there was an advertisement about roads. I don't remember the exact text of it, but it was to the effect that good roads are a good investment. I think they are, an investment in the country. They are an investment in the future. So ladies and gentlemen, when you turn in your report or your recommendations, we urgently request that you give this consideration: that when our request for funds for the roads in the second division goes before Congress, when the request for funds for the NomeFairbanks trunk highway are presented that you give it consideration, that it is a good investment and as an investment it will pay dividends again and again. Mr. DAWSON. It is my understanding they are now undertaking a survey of the Taylor road, are they not? Mr. YouNG. They are, yes, sir. That is true. Mr. DAWSON. You have a staff here in Nome at the present time. Mr. Young. That is true. Mr. DAWSON. I met them down at the hotel. They are working on it. You estimated the cost of highway construction here as ranging from $15,000 up to what? Mr. YoUNG. $100 000. Mr. DAWSON. A mile? Mr. DAWSON. What type of highway? Mr. YOUNG. Not of highway caliber as you know it in the States. A road that you can drive over in the summertime or in the wintertime when snow conditions will permit. It is simply a road that you can drive over. Mr. O'BRIEN. Thank you very much, Mr. Young. Dr. Langsam. Give your full name, Doctor. |